H.I.V. and Ethnicity

I applaud the message that the H.I.V. epidemic is as much a social phenomenon as it is a biological phenomenon. To that I would add that research indicates that at the molecular level, the virus cannot “know” or “see” race, ethnicity or age.

I also appreciate your account of the homophobia, racism and hypersexualization experienced by young men of color who have sex with men. But I am compelled to ask: Where are the positive messages and models for healthy, fulfilling relationships for them?

With heterosexuals — and, increasingly, gay white men — having such models and expectations, it is no surprise that transmission rates are dropping for them while increasing for young black and Hispanic men who have sex with men.

I hope that your article will be a clarion call to combine science with social justice.

ELWIN WUNew York, Dec. 5, 2013

The writer is an associate professor at the School of Social Work, Columbia University, and associate director of its Social Intervention Group.